The Eye Of The Beholder
by Lady Dudley
Summary: Booth is determined to get to the bottom of Bones' injury. Contains Hannah, but no other specific time frame.
1. Chapter 1

**A/N: Just a little random idea that popped into my head today and wouldn't leave me alone. It also just took off and became much longer than I was originally intending. I apologise if anyone seems OOC, this is only my second _Bones_ fic. And I am _very, very_ sorry about the bad pun with the title. I just couldn't help it...  
**

**Disclaimer: I own nothing.**

**_The Eye Of The Beholder_  
**

"What happened to you eye?" he demanded without preamble as she opened her apartment door, revealing both him and his girlfriend.

Gingerly she touched her black eye with just a hint of self-consciousness, she had half hoped and half feared that he would react this way to seeing her injured. "Nothing, I walked into a door," she explained evenly.

"I don't believe you," he said, unthinkingly taking her chin in his hand as he examined bruise more closely. "I know you, Bones, you don't walk into doors," he said looking into her eyes.

He was about to say something about getting even with the man who had done this to her, but the flash of anger in her eyes surprised him.

"Perhaps you don't know me as well as you think you do," she muttered, removing her chin from his grasp and moving passed him.

She glanced back briefly over her shoulder, "Well, are we going to dinner or not?" she demanded before continuing on without waiting for a response.

Booth held out his arm to Hannah, deep in thought, as he watched Brennan's retreating figure. Silently he swore to himself that this was not over; he _would_ get to the bottom of who had hurt his partner.

Hannah regarded him just as thoughtfully as he regarded Brennan. She had been surprised by the change in him at the sight of Brennan with a black eye; she hadn't seen him that intense, that…concerned and protective before.

She chewed her lip a little in thought as she mused that this was probably the first time she had witnessed the 'true' Booth and Brennan.

And for the first time she felt like an intruder.

.


	2. Chapter 2

**A/N: I feel I should explain this chapter just a little bit, um, it draws a lot from another idea I had that drew from Jane Austen's _Persuasion_, specifically Capt. Wentworth's letter as it reminded me of B/B. You don't have to have read the book to understand, but if you have it might give you a better idea of what I was trying to do here...**

"So what really happened, Angela?" Booth demanded as he came to the end of his recitation of the conversation he had had with Brennan the night before. "She kept maintaining that she walked into a door, but what happened? Who hurt her Angela?" He paused, "I have to know," he added quietly.

"Ah, there's the Booth we all know and love, where have you been?" Angela said with a small smile.

Booth looked up at her in confusion and frustration, "What?"

"Don't pretend you don't know what I'm talking about," Angela told him, waggling a finger in his face.

"What does this have to do with what happened to Bones?" he demanded, returning to the original line of conversation which was, to his mind, far more important than anything else at that moment.

"Calm down, sweetie, she did walk into a door," Angela said, realising she wouldn't get any further with him if she didn't calm him down first.

"You actually believed that excuse?" he asked, slightly accusing.

"Sweetie, I saw her do it," Angela told him. "Don't worry, I did stop laughing long enough to help her off the floor," Angela told him at his incredulous look. His eyes darkened slightly and Angela held her hands up in surrender, "Whoa, calm down Booth, I was kidding. But she did just walk into a door," she added, dropping her hands.

"Bones doesn't walk into doors," Booth stated flatly, he caught the brief flitter of…something in Angela's eyes and his own narrowed dangerously. "Angela…" he began in a warning tone and a detached part of his mind smiled in amusement at making her squirm.

"It's nothing," she insisted.

"Bones being assaulted is not nothing!" he all but shouted in return, his temper getting the better of him.

Angela rolled her eyes, her own temper flaring, "No one assaulted her! She walked into a door because she was so busy watching you disappear with your girlfriend that she wasn't paying attention! And even if she did get assaulted _why do you care_?" she yelled back at him.

"Because I love her!" he yelled back, his anger leaving him the moment he said the words, "I love her, ok?" he continued in a more subdued tone, sinking into a nearby seat. "I tried to tell her months ago but it came out all wrong and then I…I was so determined to prove to myself and to _her_ that someone could love me that I fell in with Hannah."

Angela didn't miss the fact that he didn't say that he had actually fallen in love with Hannah, but she wasn't ready to forgive him for hurting Brennan.

Not yet.

He looked over to where Angela was standing watching him with unbelieving eyes and sighed, "Look, you're her best friend so you have every right to hate me, but I never stopped loving her, Angela, I promise you that. I was just too angry and hurt to fight for her…like I should have. I should have stuck around and proved her that I meant what I said, not try to assuage my wounded pride with the first woman to look in my direction."

Hearing him utter the words that she had been dying to yell at him ever since they were reunited made Angela soften a little. "I think I understand, Booth," she said softly, coming over to him, "but I'm really not the person you should be saying this to."

Booth wearily wiped a hand across his face, "I know," he gave a defeated sigh, "I know."


	3. Chapter 3

"So, are you hungry? I brought take-out," Booth said easily as he breezed past Brennan and entered her apartment.

She watched his retreating figure in mild shock, "Booth?" she asked, he turned around, "What are you doing here?" she asked, regaining the ability to function as she shut the door and came to join him.

"Bringing food, what does it look like?" he opened her fridge in order to put away the drinks and paused, "Geez, Bones, have you eaten _anything_ since we came back?"

Her only response was to slam the fridge door in his face, "Whether or not I eat is really not your concern, Booth, you have someone else to care about now." She paused, "Who is probably wondering where you are," she added.

He made no move to leave and she narrowed her eyes a little, "If this is about my eye I can assure that I am telling the truth, if you do not wish to believe me you don't have to come over here in some bid to assuage some protective impulse. Or because you feel irrationally guilty," she added softly.

Booth reminded himself that she had every right to view his actions in such a light, but he still couldn't help feeling a little hurt. Causing his tone to be more defensive than he had intended as he replied, "I didn't come here on a protective impulse or because I feel guilty, Bones, I came because I care."

She gave an uncharacteristic snort. He chose to ignore it.

"Angela told me what happened, Bones," he told her in a gentler tone.

She looked at him in mild shock, "And you came anyway?"

Slowly, so as not to startle her, he put his hands gently on her shoulders, heartened that she didn't pull away, "I came because this whole…situation was a wakeup call. I was hurt, hurt and angry and I tried to forget you. It didn't work," he told her flatly, "I've ended it with Hannah and I'm here now to tell you that no matter how long it takes and no matter what happens, this time I'm not going to let you get away."

He squeezed her shoulders briefly before stepping back, "I will give you as much time and space as you need, but I just wanted you to know that." He paused, "Because I love you Bones."

She blinked, "What?" she said softly.

"I love you," he repeated evenly but with a quiet conviction that left her speechless for a few moments.

"You never said…" she breathed finally.

Suddenly it all fell into place and he had to resist the urge to kick himself: his declaration hadn't spooked her because he hadn't _made_ a declaration. What had frightened her and what she had rejected was the uncertain terms and levity with which he had broached the idea of them being together.

Not him. Never him.

"Bones, I'm so sorry," he said softly as he saw all this and also the pain in her eyes that he'd been so determined _not_ to see over the last couple of months.

"I love you," she said by way of response.

It was his turn to be rendered speechless.

She blushed a little under his surprised stare and found herself unable to meet his eye, but she was determined to get this all out in the open. "After examining all the evidence I have decided that there is no other term to describe the way that I feel about you and…"

She never got to finish her sentence as Booth closed the distance and kissed her.


End file.
